Norway man gets 15 years for possession of child porn

June 20, 2013

MARQUETTE - A Norway man was sentenced to 188 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Miles Jr.

U.S. District Judge R. Allan Edgar also ordered Shane Eric Hanley, 45, to serve 20 years of supervised release following his release from prison, to pay $17,769 in restitution to victims and to pay a $100 special assessment.

Hanley will also be required to re-register as a sexual offender.

The Norway man /pleaded guilty on Feb. 22 to a federal indictment charging him with possession of child pornography.

Investigation into Hanley's activities began in July 2011 when agents with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force in Grand Rapids discovered that he was sharing child pornography via peer-to-peer software on his computer.

Subsequent investigation revealed that Hanley had child pornography stored on both his home computer and DVD's. Hanley admitted to using peer-to-peer software to locate and download child pornography, which he compared to stamp collecting.

Hanley was previously convicted of criminal sexual conduct in Michigan in 1993 and 1994. Both convictions involved acts with minors.

He is a registered sex offender in Michigan.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect

children from online exploitation and abuse.

The U.S. Attorney's Office, county prosecutor's offices, Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children.

The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit projectsafechildhood.gov.

The Michigan State Police and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.